


Your Wish Is My Command

by orphan_account



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: ... i did way too much research on this subject, Animal Traits, Because apparently jinn actually have those?, Did I decide to make it a multi-chaptered fic???, I don’t know why???, Implied Servitude, Implied Torture, M/M, Mild Injury Descriptions, Multi, Sanders Sides - Freeform, Sanders Sides Genie AU, Sanders Sides Jinn AU, That’s... that’s basically what this is..., Yeah???, do I know where I’m going with this?, i feel bad for the boyos ngl, no?, sanders sides au, yeah - Freeform, you know that ‘lamp in a lamp’ post on tumblr?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2020-10-26 15:24:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20744414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: {CURRENTLY BEING REVISED; I CAN WRITE BETTER THAN THIS, I PROMISE}“Aw, you’re not going to use us to further yourself because you have ‘good morals?’” the yellow Jinn said with a slight hiss, forked tongue flicking between pointed fangs as he made exaggerated air quotes. “That’s a laugh and a half, sweetheart. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has ever been able to resist. All creatures have innate, selfish desires, whether they’re aware of them or not. No matter what ‘morals’ you might think are prohibiting you from getting all of your dark desires with merely a word to one of us, it’s certain that your instincts for self-preservation will soon overpower all of that.”Or: In Which Thomas Becomes A Glorified Babysitter For A Bunch of Dumbass Jinn, and Realizes That Aladdin Made This Look So Much Cooler





	1. Blue, Red, and Purple

**Author's Note:**

> Remember that tumblr post residentanchor posted forever ago? ([....no....nobody? Just me, then?](https://residentanchor.tumblr.com/post/177995761099/why-has-no-one-written-the-sides-as-genies-come))
> 
> Yeah. LAMP in a lamp genie AU, except it’s endgame DLAMP because _why not?_

Thomas hadn’t expected much when the package had arrived on his doorstep. He had known that his family had been clearing out his uncle’s apartment, and he knew that the contents of borderline-hoarder had been divided up among the relatives. But... he had expected a few dusty books, or something similar. Maybe his uncle’s prized coffee maker at best. A few pairs of the sunglasses that had been piling up on top of his living room shelves at the very least.

So when he opened his door to find a box nearly as big as he was, needless to say, he was surprised. 

Joan and Talyn had just left, and so began the struggle of getting the package into his apartment himself. Luckily it wasn’t too heavy; more awkward to carry than anything else. Finally maneuvering it so that it was next to his couch, he debated on whether to open it, or rewatch the newest Descendants movie instead. But his curiosity got the better of him, and so he had spent five minutes rummaging around in random kitchen drawers until he had found a box cutter.

  
Which was why he was now standing in his living room, box cutter in hand, wondering what the hell he was going to do with this.

  
He knew what it was; he had seen it every time he had visited Uncle Rem as a kid. A tall glass case with several levels, each holding a beautiful, fragile-looking oil lamp. None of the kids were ever allowed to touch them, especially not after his bubbly husband passed on. Thomas was pretty sure that, based on his husband’s adoration for animated works, Uncle Rem had somehow found the Aladdin-esque lamps and had gotten them as a gift for the other. It was kind of cute, actually. Regardless, he didn’t know why they had sent it to _him_ of all people. _Aladdin_ might be the greatest Disney movie of all time, but that didn’t mean he had room in his small apartment for a display case of antiquated oil lamps. But... 

It was the thought that counted, right? At the very least, he could now actually _touch _the lamps that he had wanted to as a child; probably clean them up before putting them up on EBay. He could probably get a decent price for them; they looked pretty old.   
  
But of _ course, _it couldn’t be that simple. One moment, he’s using a discarded shirt he had found wedged between his couch cushions to dust off the first lamp (his personal favorite, actually. Whenever the kids had gotten bored while grownups talked, they had gathered around the forbidden case, the command that they not touch the lamps making them an even more interesting item than before, and picked out their favorites. He liked them all, but in the end, Thomas still liked the simple, practical look of the silver lamp, dark blue jewels set in a simple, yet elegant pattern along the curved handle and the polished lid). And the next…

Coughing as a dark blue smoke spills out of the lamp, covering his mouth as he drops it to the floor, he stumbles backwards as he watches the well-worn silver spins to a stop next to his staircase, thick smoke still spilling out and almost filling the room. 

And then, almost immediately, the smoke is gone, and in its place stands a person. Their uncomfortable-looking suit jacket is of high quality and without wrinkles, the lighter undershirt providing an attractive contrast against their dark skin. Not a single thing looks out of place, from their perfectly gelled back, black hair, to their incredibly straightened blue tie, to their shined dress shoes. Thomas’s first thought is that the other stands incredibly out of place in his modest, and somewhat messy apartment. His second thought is that he shouldn’t have had that as his first thought, his third finally getting around to wondering _ where the hell the person had come from? _

The being cleared their throat, looking over Thomas with an almost bored gaze, before bowing shallowly. “At your service, master,” they said curtly, adjusting their glasses with a practiced motion. 

Thomas doesn’t speak. At this point, he isn’t sure he’s even _ breathing _at this point as he stumbled backwards, tripping over a misplaced cushion and falling back onto his couch. The being’s eyebrow quirked upwards as if in question, but seemed to take Thomas’s silence as permission to continue. 

“Very well, straight to the point, I suppose. Though before we begin, I must ask, and my apologies if this is too forthright, but of what species are you? Sorcerer? One of royal descent, perhaps? My last master was even, surprisingly enough, a powerful CEO who happened to have tales of the Jinn passed down throughout their family, so I suppose that _ any _ sort or magical connection will work these days.” As the man was talking about… _ whatever _ he was talking about- honestly, Thomas was still too focused on the fact that this man had _ appeared in a cloud of smoke after rubbing a lamp _ to try and figure out what the other was going on about- he finally noticed that speckled, feathered wings, which he assumed had previously been tucked tightly behind the other’s back, had flared out now slightly, lightly fanning out from behind the other’s figure. 

Thomas had to be dreaming. That was it, _ surely _ that was it, because there was no way that a _ winged _ man with impeccable fashion sense had just appeared in his living room from a cloud of _ smoke _ from…

His eyes snapped to the lamp, which was lying on its side where Thomas had dropped in on the floor.… It couldn’t…. 

_ Could it? _

Finally stabilizing his breathing into something that might be able to be considered non-concerning, he managed to stutter out a few words. “I’m… I’m human?” Thomas said quietly, more as a question than an answer. The other just nodded, and then with a movement almost too quick to follow, had opened a leather-bound book that he seemed to pull from thin air and had taken a seat on the couch beside Thomas. “What… are you doing?”

The other sighed, adjusting his glasses as he looked back up at Thomas. “What does it look like I’m doing, human? If you aren’t magic, the chances that you know of the jinn’s purposes are infinitesimal. Without knowing our purposes, you can’t ask of your wish. And if you can’t ask of your wish-“

“Jinn? _ Wish _ ?” Thomas cut him off, straightening up (hah) from where he's sitting on the couch to curiously look the other in the eye. “Are you… are you saying… Y’know, actually, that was rude of me. Since it looks like you _ aren’t _a robber who somehow broke in and is gonna kill me, I guess we should start with names and stuff, right?” Holding out a hand to the other, Thomas smiled slightly. “I’m Thomas. He/him pronouns. And you are?”

The other rolled their eyes at that, which was honestly the most emotion Thomas thought he was going to get from the other, but took the offered hand regardless. “It is a pleasure to meet you, human.” The handshake was quick, and over before Thomas could even process how cold the other’s skin felt. As the Jinn continued to speak, Thomas picked up one of the other lamps still set on the coffee table in front of him, if only to distract himself from the chilling stare of the other. “I suppose most use typical ‘male’ pronouns for myself, but.. I can’t say that the trivialities of gender have ever been of much importance to me. As for a name… no. But, like I was _ saying _,” the Jinn, who Thomas had now decided he was going to call ‘Blue’, both because of the color of the jewels embellishing the lamp he had come from, as well as the fact that the other was refusing to give him a name, continued. “If you can’t ask of your wish, then we are stuck with you until you die. A slight inconvenience to be sure, but I’ll try to make the most of my time here regardless of that… distraction.”

Thomas frowned, absentmindedly running his thumb over the rubies embedded in the golden lamp he was holding. “...There’s a lot to unpack there… so let’s just start at the end? Because, like, I can be energetic sometimes, but I don’t think my existence could be considered too big of a distraction… Wait, did you say _ we _?”

“Unfortunately, I did,” the other said with a sigh, eyes flicking down towards the lamp Thomas was holding with a look of annoyance, and then back at the pages of his book. “And I wasn’t talking about _ you _being a distraction. I was talking about…”

The lamp in his hands suddenly shook, and then a cloud of red fog shot out of the entrance of the lamp. Similar to the blue genie’s… well, _ jinn’s _ , apparently, entrance, out of the fog stepped another man, this one stumbling slightly before righting himself. He turned around, looking almost confused at the change in scenery, and _ damn _ , Thomas sure was a little scared that there were random men in his house, but he wasn’t _ that _ scared as he was faced with the very bare, very tan, and _ very _toned chest of this other man, before his eyes caught on Thomas. 

“Ah, another day, another master!” the new Jinn said almost triumphantly, taking a step closer to take Thomas’s hand, laying a kiss onto his knuckles before Thomas can even react. “Though it’s rare that I am blessed enough to have such a handsome prince such as yourself as my ruler.” He winked at Thomas before pulling away, instantly falling into a practiced, at-attention position, as if waiting for orders. And… at the slight twist in Thomas’s stomach, he realized that the other probably _ was _. Before he could stammer a reply, however, or introduce himself so that he didn’t feel so weird every time he was referred to as a ‘master,’ Blue spoke up from beside him. 

“Salutations, _ prep _,” the other said without looking up from his book. Instantly, the red Jinn’s smile fell, and he looked at Blue with a pout. 

“What a… _pleasant_ surprise it is to see you here, _ bookworm_.” The last word is almost spat, and Thomas gives Blue a questioning glance. 

“Pay him no mind, human,” he replied dismissively, turning another page. “It seems as though no time is long enough for him to… ‘chill,’ as I believe you might say.” 

“Well, well, well, looks like the nerd hasn’t changed a bit since I last saw him! Pity, I thought a few centuries would be enough time for you to finally grow up and stop acting like a pretentious jerk all the time!”

“Wow,” the other deadpanned, flipping the page. “Didn’t know you could read minds, Princey. I was just about to say the same thing.”

“Disregarding the baro_nerd _,” the Red Jinn said in a way that made it unclear to Thomas as to whether or not he truly hated the Blue Jinn, his gaze flickered back to Thomas, doe-like eyes blinking rapidly. “Until you have figured out my true name, anything you call me will suffice! Most typically use color, while others might point out a specific feature of my good looks-“

“I suggest Idiot, Airhead, or Doofus-“ Blue offered offhandedly.

“-But I shall allow you to make that decision, my magnificent master!” Red finally finished with a flourish of his hand, before bowing lowly towards Thomas. “Might I know your name in return? I, of course, won’t be so rude as to refer to you as such a lowly and disrespectful term as ‘human’ like _ some _people-“

“This was a mistake, Thomas is merely a human, and we are now stuck with him until he dies,” Blue cut in, giving the other a leveled look over the rims of his glasses. “No need to uphold the ‘master’ pleasantries.”

The room suddenly fell into silence, leaving Thomas to awkwardly set down the golden lamp with a rather loud clank on the table. 

“...Since when has species mattered?” 

“Wh... what do you mean ‘_since when has species mattered_’- Ro... Princey!” Blue sputtered, book disappearing from his hands with a wave of his wrist so he can properly wave disproving hand at the other. “You know, you _know _what can happen if the power falls into the wrong hands, and-“

”And so far, he seems to be a great person! I am an excellent judge of character, I’ll have you know!” 

As they continued to bicker, Thomas allowed himself a moment to look over this newest genie. 

This genie was dressed far different than Blue. While the other seemed to have been dressed in a rather modern formal wear, Red seemed to be almost the complete opposite. Simple cloth pants, bare feet, and a sheer loop of red fabric tied around his waist, and no shirt to be seen... not that Thomas was complaining. He looked more of an English decent, with mildly tanned skin and a small smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose.

And as if to further the differences between the two, Thomas finally notices the lack of wings on the other. Instead, this particular genie seems to have... some sort of short horns sticking out of his curly reddish-brown locks. Furry brown ears twitch in irritation as they continue to argue, and as the other turned the slightest bit towards the other, he can see the puff of a small tail twitching from side to side above the loop of red fabric around his waist. 

“Uh, why… the animal… things?” Thomas finally blurts out, gesturing at the animalistic appendages on each of their figures. Both Jinn stop their bickering suddenly, turning towards the human in almost complete unison. 

After a beat of silence, Red took an eager step closer to Thomas. “Oh, young human, you are absolutely _adorable_!” he said in an almost condescending tone, ears twitching in excitement. Thomas let it slide because, by the way the other is smiling, and gesturing with his hands as if to accent every word, he can tell that he doesn’t mean it meanheartedly. “Because it corresponds to our purpose, of course! After all, a-“  
  
”Princey, you don’t seem to understand what _oversharing _means-“

There’s a pause, and then-

“So, I’m the Jinn of the Stag lamp!” Red proclaimed proudly, flourishing his arms once again as he gave a quick spin. Blue silently facepalmed in the background, and Thomas can’t help but chuckle. 

“So... I’m assuming that has some sort of symbolistic meaning as to what your true ‘purpose’ or ‘name’ or whatever is that I need to unlock?” Instantly, Red’s face lit up, and he nodded vigorously, golden-brown curls bouncing up and down with the movement.

”I knew you were a smart one! And since I’m certain he won’t introduce himself, the nerd over here is-“

“And I am the Jinn of the Owl Lamp,” Blue offered carefully, as if he wasn’t sure he should be saying it or not. “And if we could please refrain from purposefully attempting to push the human towards unlocking the power at his disposal, I-“

“Of course, if I could, I would give you my _true _name. I am more than a beast or a color!” Red cut off Blue once again, gesturing theatrically with every word, seemingly unable to stay still for more than five consecutive seconds. “But unfortunately, I cannot. After all, names have power, and certain smartasses in this room don’t think you deserve said power for whatever reason. Any other information that you desire is free for you to take, however! 

“The _ reason, _” Blue began hurriedly, “is that we can’t allow another-“

“So you’re… like, a genie? Does that mean I get three wishes?” Thomas was trying to stay calm, but he couldn’t stop the smallest bit of excitement leaking into his voice at that. He didn’t mean to cut off Blue, but Red seemed more than willing to answer any questions Thomas might have… and Thomas had a _ lot _of questions to ask. 

“Oh no,” Blue muttered, and Red looks between the other two in confusion. 

“...Three wishes?” Red begins curiously. “Where did you get _ that _number from? Any sorcerer knows that control of a Jinn only gives you-”

“Ah!” Blue quickly cut him off quickly as he stood up, making a beeline towards the shelves by Thomas’s tv. “Princey… Thomas is human. You know the rules. If the owner of the lamp does not possess the knowledge to use it, it is for the better that we not _ give him said knowledge, _ in order that… previous mistakes not happen again.” 

“...I suppose that’s fair,” Red said with a slight pout. “Even though, again, it he seems like he'd make a great master-“

“Whether or not he’d use his power wisely is besides the point; as it stands, he still has no basis of-“

“What are you doing?” Thomas finally cut the two off, both him and Red turning to look bemused at the other, who was still pursuing the shelves. Finally finding what he was apparently looking for, making a small noise of affirmation, the Jinn plucks a movie from the shelf, holding it lightly as if he were holding something contemptible. 

“We can save this discussion for another time,” he said, looking at Red before his eyes flashed back over to Thomas. “You’re familiar with the movie _ Aladdin _, by Disney animation studios… are you not?” Blue’s voice was cool and calculated, but there was an underlying tone of annoyance. Looking closer, Thomas saw that he was holding his copy of said movie, case worn through years of love.

“Yeah, that’s actually my favorite-” Thomas is immediately cut off by both of the Jinn speaking at once. 

“...Specs, what the _ hell _is a movie-” 

“This movie is absolute garbage and a disgrace to Jinn-kind.”

Both Red and Thomas froze at the absolute contempt in Blue’s voice at that, before Red fell into a bout of hearty laughter. “Ah, bookworm, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you have so much emotion! Might you be betraying your purpose?” This tone is a little more lighthearted than before, one that Thomas can almost consider playful teasing, but Blue’s gaze only hardened at the words. 

“I am _ not _ -“ He quickly stopped himself, taking a deep breath before continuing in a more careful tone. “...I am not betraying my purpose. I am unbiased and analytical as ever, as I am intended to be, and any sort of… _ emotion _ you stupidly assume I have towards this is simply due to the absolutely botched interpretation of Jinn as a whole!” 

Red paused, then whistled lowly. “...That bad, huh?”

“Yes, it is _that bad_-“

Before the two began bickering again, which Thomas was starting to pick up on as a regular thing between the two, he quickly cut in. 

“Regardless of how wrong that movie was… all of these lamps have a genie…” Blue’s jaw clenches ever so slightly, and Thomas quickly corrects himself. “..._ Jinn _, inside of it, right?” Red nods enthusiastically, ears twitching excitedly, before picking up his own lamp, fingers lightly dancing over the ornate designs. 

“Yes indeed, young Thomas! Each lamp contains a Jinn, and each Jinn represents a certain aspect of one whole! You see, long ago, at the beginning of time… well, maybe not the beginning of time, but _ near _ such a time…” Red goes off on a long tangent, explaining every little detail of a story Thomas wasn’t _ quite _sure he was understanding the entirety of. But, from what the human could gather… it was something along the lines of an ancient god splitting himself among several sorcerers before his death, allowing him to live on in the vessels that were provided, those apparently being the lamps. He had then gone on to explain something else more in depth to that, just beginning to explain something about ‘facets’ and ‘core functions’ and ‘allowing his aspects to help guide those in need through wishes’ or something, before Blue makes a small noise in the back of his throat. Red promptly cuts himself off. 

“Princey…” Blue starts quietly, and Red simply sighs. 

“I know, I know… I thought that was too much information as I said it, it’s just... really hard to stop, sometimes.”

They were… almost civil, at that moment. Red and Blue, both staring at eachother, Blue’s eyes softening the tiniest bit.

”...It’s been a while, hasn’t it, R?”

  
Red froze at that, and it took a second for him to be able to formulate any words. “Y... yeah, it’s... been a while. Sorry, I don’t mean to keep rambling, I just...”  
  
”... don’t want to be silenced again, correct?” Blue’s tone is something close to sympathetic, and the other looked up at the other, surprise written all over his face. “It’s hard to not be released for long periods of time; I understand. But perhaps, we can fulfill your social needs through talking about something else?”

It was almost a cute moment between the two, and even though some of what had been said concerned him the slightest bit, Thomas was focused on something else. Even though Blue had gone on about how _ Aladdin _ wasn’t at all an accurate representation… surely, being stuck in a lamp would be uncomfortable, right? Probably would give the Jinn more than a ‘crick in the neck.’ Almost absentmindedly, he finds himself picking up the next lamp. This one was well worn as well- a chipped, tin lamp with purple undertones set beneath raised metallic designs. A quick swipe at the dust-covered surface is all it takes to activate it. 

Red immediately cut off in an almost squawk-like noise, almost grabbing Thomas’s hands before stopping himself. “I, you… please, no, _ not him _-”

But the damage had already been done, leaving everyone in the room to watch as a thick, purple smoke spills from the lamp into the room. Blue’s face is indifferent, but his eyes show a controlled caution, while Red’s is straight up murderous. 

The moment the purple smoke had dissipated around the figure, the other’s previously pompous disposition dissolved into a look of pure hatred.

“Are. You. _ Kidding _. Me?”

The black-clad figure’s head jerked up as he heard the voice, ears flicking restlessly as he fixated on Red with an emotion in his dark eyes that Thomas couldn’t quite place. And then, slowly, a lopsided smirk formed on his face, and he threw up a casual salute as he spoke in a low, raspy voice.  
  
”Hey there, Princey.” 


	2. Another Blue, Yellow, and Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“You are intellect,” Thomas said confidently. “Intelligence, knowledge. You…” Staring at the Jinn’s back as he stiffened, the human smiled slightly. “...are logic.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I, uh... wow. I was certainly not expecting 30+ kudos within the first 24 hours, let alone any of the lovely comments I received, so... thank you? I really appreciate the feedback, the kudos, or even if you’re a silent reader just giving me a shot! I hope this next chapter doesn’t disappoint!

“Hey there, Princey.”

The Jinn had originally been seemingly fixed in a stiff, yet somehow submissive, kneeling position, hands outstretched on the ground before him with his palms facing upwards. However, once he saw the others standing, he almost lethargically rose to his feet, stretching creaking bones as guarded eyes flitted over the group in front of him. His eyes seemed to hang onto Red’s figure a second too long, and even though everything about the Jinn’s expression gave off an air of nonchalant snarkiness, Thomas could see the way he never relaxed. In fact, he was pretty sure the other stiffened even more under their gaze, though he continued to practically ooze chaotic uncaring. Barking out a rough chuckle, he winking at flamboyant Jinn before stretched again, wincing as his back popped, then looked fully around the room. “Oh, and Specs is here, too. Great. I’m surprised he got all three of us in one place.”

“More than just the three, actually,” Blue said from his position on the couch, and Purple cocked his head questioningly towards him, ignoring the murderous gaze still being aimed at him from Red. 

“What’s that supposed to mean? I mean, the most anyone’s gotten since the beginning is three; there’s no way…” Purple’s eyes fell on one of the lamps still sitting on the table, and his eyes widened as his outward persona immediately crumpled, hands shaking as he reached towards one of them. “You… y-you have him, you…” Suddenly, he stopped, shaking hands withdrawing as quickly as if he had been burned. His head shot up to look at Thomas, eyes wide and glassy with unshed tears. “Please, please, I c-can’t touch it, but… let him out, please. Please, Master.”

Dark and messy bangs fell over his dark, almond-shaped eyes, feline ears twitching erratically from where they peeked out of the mess of hair. The shadows were so dark under his eyes that Thomas had to question if they were makeup or not, and a scrawny, black-furred tail swishing agitatedly behind him. Paired with the off-the-shoulder crop top and mid-thigh-length black skirt that showed far more of his bronzed skin than he seemed comfortable with, he looked right out of a Hot Topic ad... if Hot Topic models were always pictured in moments of excessive alarm and on the brink of tears. 

“What, so you can cause even more harm?“ Red spat at the other, shoving his way between Purple and the lamp. 

“No, I swear, I’m not trying to-“ the shaken Jinn sputtered, trying to push his way past Red, slender wrists quickly being caught up in the other’s large hands. It was a quick tussle, mostly fought through their gazes as Purple tried to twist out of the other’s grip. But he finally hissing a defeat and pulled back a few steps, rubbing at his reddened wrists as his tail swished from side to side behind him. “Look, you and Encyclopedia Brown over there are here, right?” The Jinn’s voice was shaking, and he sounded angry, but the undertone of desperation was clear to everyone in the room. His ears flattened against his head, and he curled in on himself slightly, seeming even smaller in that moment. “And it’s just me, right? Two verses one. You could take me down easily; you know that. Please, just… I need to check on him. _ Please _.”

Red’s eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to the other, Purple shrinking away slightly before setting his jaw and forcing himself to hold his ground. “And what do you get out of this, scaredy cat?” His voice, though barely above a whisper, still held the same dramatic bravado that seemed to carry throughout the room. “You and your little _ friends _ always want something as a means to your end. No regard for the creatures of this world that could use our powers, no, it’s only about _ you _, isn’t it? What about him is so useful to you that you so desperately want him here?”

Bristling at that, it looked like Purple was about to straight up jump the taller Jinn. “They aren’t my _ friends, _” he said vehemently, the tips of pointed canines being bared at the other. Red looked unafraid, the only indication that he had heard the other being the slightest twitch of his left ear. “And those ‘oh so precious’ creatures of yours aren’t always as-“

A slight breeze whistled through the room carrying the smell of fresh baked bread and cut grass, and everything suddenly stopped. All eyes snapped to Thomas, who was staring down the bickering Jinn with a leveled expression, the brass lamp in hand. Blue swore under his breath, muttering about how Thomas really shouldn’t be as impulsive as to keep rubbing these lamps without proper information, but even he had a gleam in his eye as he watched the other’s fingers trace the light blue gemstones embedded in the handle. A fluid blue smoke slipped from the lamp, gently swirling into the air, and everyone watched with bated breath as it accumulated into an almost solid form. And then...

Thomas inhaled sharply. 

“Holy shit, I-” Purple tried to push his way forward to the unmoving figure on the floor, but his progress is quickly stopped by Red.

“Take one step closer, and you will regret it,” he muttered with barely an ounce of anger in his words, his voice shaking and his eyes wide. It was obvious that he had to fight to keep his eyes off the figure, focusing on making sure Purple doesn’t get too close. “Specs, can you... dammit, is he okay?”

But before Blue can get to the other’s side, the new Jinn is stirring. One second passed, then two, and then the Jinn was sitting up, pushing himself to his knees before adjusting his cracked glasses and shooting a smile at Thomas. “At your service, master!” he chirped cheerfully. 

Ripped pants, if you could really even call them pants anymore, didn’t do much to hide the wounds crawling up and down the Jinn’s legs. The same types of cuts covered his arms as well, and as this new Blue turned slightly to see who else was in the room, he could see raw and reddened welts lashed across the other’s back. Golden-furred ears poked out from his darker curled hair, reminiscent of a golden retriever, and as he turned even more to wave at the owl-like Jinn, Thomas could see a matching tail sweeping the ground behind him.

  
The moment his eyes fell onto Purple, the Jinn’s face lit up, tail immediately wagging in the air behind him. “Purple!” he exclaimed excitedly, trying to stand up and, presumably, go over and hug the other Jinn. Immediately, Red in standing in front of him once again, gently guiding him back down to a sitting position. 

”How about we rest for a tad, huh, Padre?” Red said with a strange mixture of venom and gentleness in his voice. “We don’t need to worry about him right now.”

”Worry... about him? Kiddo, what’s wrong?” His voice was a bit bemused, and he cocked his head to the side slightly as he looked up at Red, ears twitching the tiniest bit. 

“Just... trust us, Padre,” Red said quickly, ignoring Purple for the time being. “You haven’t been out in a while, have you? I... just... yeah, just trust us, okay?” As Red continue to keep his gaze trained on this other Blue, Thomas could see that the other Jinn both locked eyes. Purple looked like he was about to smile, but he quickly straightened up and set his face into his typical closed off demeanor. A shake of his head, which Blue responded to with the smallest of grins, as if to set the issue aside to talk about later. But for now, the new Blue let Red worry over him, looking over his injuries and commenting on each one. 

“So, master, do you already know of your wish?” the other chirped from his position on the floor, seeming content to let Red examine him as he talked. 

“Uh...” Immediately thrown off by the other’s bubbly nature, juxtaposed next to the angry welts circling around his torso, Thomas had to scramble for what to say. “...call me Thomas, please?”

”Oh, uh, of course, Thomas!” The other looked a little bemused, continued smiling nonetheless. 

“...but, uh... maybe we should worry less about wishes and more about... y’know...” Thomas gestured at the other’s body. 

Giggling, the other shrugged, then tried to get to his feet again. “I’m... I’m fine, really. Nothing you need to be concerned with, kiddo!” Red forced him to sit back on the ground with a hissed remark, going back to examining the other’s wounds. Thomas noticed that, as his fingers traced over a few of the larger ones, that the skin was closing up and healing over, and he let out an audible sigh of relief. The Jinn seemed to notice as well, and he quickly shook Red’s hands off of him. “Princey... y’know you can’t do that,” he said quietly. 

“Why not?” Thomas asked curiously, watching as Red’s hands immediately flinched away from the other’s body. 

All of the Jinn looked at him in expressions ranging from surprised to confused.

“...A Jinn can only use their magic in the way their master commands?” Red recited questioningly as if from a memorized script, giving Thomas a simultaneously bemused and nervous expression. “...Does that mean that I-“  
  
”I, uh... yeah, if I um... give you permission? Can you please heal him?” Thomas finally forced out, feeling a strange sort of feeling forming in his stomach. Red had no right to look that happy over being given _permission _to heal someone, in the same way the hurt Jinn didn’t need to look at Thomas as if he had just given him the most amazing gift in the world. Instantly, Red’s hands are back on the other’s body, healing the wounds as quickly as possibly as if worried the permission might be revoked at any time, and Thomas’s stomach twisted even more.

His gaze fell onto the other lamps, and his heart clenched. Were the other Jinn in this bad of shape? Were they stuck in there, hurting, alone, having been stuck there for who knows how long, just like this one?

“Thank you, Thomas,” nerdy Blue said, a tone of relief evident in his voice. “I... _wait Thomas no_-” the Jinn finished frantically, grabbing the copper lamp out of the other’s hands, yellow accents seeming to pulse in the light. Thomas backed away, hands held up slightly as he offered the other a sheepish smile.  
  
“Sorry, I just… I keep forgetting… that I shouldn’t… I just… like, it _ has _to be cramped in there.” 

“Oh, no, it’s _ssssso_ roomy; I _never_ want to leave half the time.” The sickly yellow smoke disappeared in an instant, and at Thomas’s side now stands another Jinn. And Thomas could breathe out a sigh of relief of no visible wounds adorning this one. 

  
While Blue and Purple seemed to be dressed in modern clothes, Red sporting casual medieval-wear, and other Blue’s clothes in too much disrepair to see what time period he was wearing, this one was dressed in what seemed like dressy 1900’s clothing. 

This figure was donned in a clean-pressed suit, silky black dress shirt clinging to his toned form, hands protected within outrageously yellow gloves. A black suit coat was casually thrown over one shoulder, the whole top complimented by an almost luminescent yellow bow tie and matching suspenders. Casual dress slacks, paired with shiny dress shoes almost mimicked the nerdier of the Jinn’s dress, though in a much more pretentious way. And, as if to complete the look, a bowler hat of all things set jauntily over his neatly groomed brown hair, overshadowing a face that, as Thomas looked closer, seemed to be half-covered in a subtle scaling pattern. As the Jinn spoke, Thomas could see a forked tongue flicking out between pointed teeth, as well as hear the slight hiss that hung onto every ‘s’ he spoke.

Putting it simply, he looked like every Disney villain stereotype blended up, then poured into a snooty manager who assigned his workers 7.5 hour shifts so that he didn’t have to give them the required break every 8 hours they worked. 

“Oh, you utter emo dissssaster,” Yellow said offhandedly as he sauntered around the uneven circle of Jinn, pausing by Purple to pat his cheek in an obviously patronizing way. “So many centuriesss to pick up ssssome fasssshion tassste... and yet, here you sssstand.“  
  
Though obviously uncomfortable in the other’s presence, Red couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh, which Yellow cracked a sinister smile at. Purple on the other hand looked anything but amused. “Nice gloves,” he hissed sharply. “What, your plan to destroy humanity through trickery didn’t work out, so you’re just trying to _blind _them into destruction?” 

“Oh, how I’ve missed your _clever _little retortsss,” Yellow shot back sharply, before quickly pulling away his hand from the other’s face as Purple’s canines snapped at him. “Yikessss,” he deadpanned, before jumping back into what Thomas was certain was a prepared monologue. “And not to fear, my planssss regarding the sssscum of the earth are sssstill in full motion!” Turning to shoot Thomas an unimpressed look, he scanned the human’s body up and down, then shrugged. “A pretty face to be ssssure, but I won’t even have to try hard with thissss one. He’d probably bring his own demisssse upon himsssself, without me needing to lift a ssssingle finger.” 

“Hey now,” the fatherly Jinn butted in, still looking a little worse for the wear, but definitely an improvement from when he had first appeared. “Don’t say things ya don’t mean, Sunshine!” The Yellow Jinn gagged exaggeratedly at the name. “He certainly has the potential to use his wish for good!”

”Doubtful,” Purple muttered under his breath, and Red shot him a death glare. “Oh come off it Princey, every human has an innate desire for evil of whatever. Nobody’s perfect... idiot.” The insult at the end seemed like too much of an afterthought to have any real bite, but Red put a hand to his chest dramatically, gasping in a way that ensured everyone in the room well knew that he was offended. 

“Hey, don’t I get a say in this, since I’m the one whose morals are under fire right now? I wouldn’t use my wishes for bad!” Thomas jumped in suddenly. “Look, I don’t know what kind of ‘masters’ you’ve had before, but… I’m… I’m a good person!” 

“Aw, you’re not going to ussssse usss to further yoursssself becausssse you have ‘good moralsss?’” Yellow hissed, forked tongue flicking between pointed fangs as he made exaggerated air quotes. “That’ssss a laugh and a half, ssssweetheart. Nobody, and I mean _ nobody_, hassss ever been able to resssisssst. All creaturessss have innate, sssselfish dessssiressss, whether they’re aware of them or not. No matter what ‘moralsss’ you might think are prohibiting you from getting all of your dark desssiressss with merely a word to one of ussss, it’s certain that your _ instinctsss _ for _ssself-pressservation _will ssssoon overpower all of that.”

And even though Thomas had heard nothing particularly bad in the words Yellow had said (well, besides the whole calling Thomas a bad person thing, but he doubted the Jinn would take particular offense to that), the others immediate rose into chaotic outrage. Red looked like he was about to straight up strangle the snake, eyes flickering between Purple and Yellow with obvious murder in his eyes. Purple looked scared but, strangely, not because he seemed to be in immediate danger of death. His violet eyes were unfocused as he seemed to look through the snake, mouth open slightly in horror and seemingly frozen in place. Blue looked worriedly between Red and Purple, making sure nobody was killing anybody before wheeling around to stare at the snake, arms folding over his bare chest as he fixed the other with a disappointed look.

“Now, Sunshine, you know that you can’t do that, right? Like Fluffers said, it’s only for the good of the world.”  
  
Original Blue’s face is flushed a dark red, and it took a second for him to formulate what he was trying to say. “I’m sorry,_ what did you just call me_?” Red was dying in the background, and Thomas could see that even Purple was hiding a grin under the pretense of a yawn. Yellow looked a bit miffed that his dramatic monologue was immediately lightened up by the bubbly Jinn’s words, and from the gleam in the fatherly one’s eyes as he winked at the snake-like being, that was entirely what he was going for. 

“But you said we can’t say our real names or our purposes, right?” The bubbly Jinn completely disregarded what the crux of the issue is, which only served to make Red laugh even harder. Taking a step closer to the other, his floppy ears twitched in excitement, a pale hand rising to lightly stroke the other’s wings. “And your wings are just so gosh-darn fluffy! I thought it was fitting!”

”_Regardlessssss_!” The Yellow Jinn said in a louder voice to be heard over Blue’s sputtering, trying to bring the attention back to what he had said. “While we cannot directly-“  
  
“Don’t try to bullshit your way out of this one,” Purple cut him off, still slightly smiling over the bubbly Jinn’s antics. “Specs, can you... like, smite him or whatever already? The bedazzled trashbag blatantly broke your rule...”  
  
“Oh yessss, because _ you sss_surely haven’t exploited any loopholes with previous masterssss,” the snake-faced Jinn replied in a sing-song voice. “But regardlesssss, there’s nothing against me sssstating a purpose, as long as it’s not outright sssspelling out how to use it to the human. I didn’t break a ssssingle one of the bookworm’ssss oh-sssso-ssssspecial rules!”

“I appreciate the support, Purple, but it’s alright,,” the owl jinn spoke up from where he was still seated on Thomas’s couch. As all eyes turned to him, he seemed to look almost surprised, wings fidgeted behind him. “Cease your attempts, jinn of the snake lamp. Thomas is merely human; there is no point in attempted trickery to reveal any of our true names, purposes, or otherwise. Humans simply don’t have the capability to understand, let alone harness and use, magic in any form. And to answer your implied question, I can’t necessarily ‘smite’ any one of you. The rules have been an ‘on your honor’ type system since the beginning; everyone knows that.”  
  
There was a pause. And then-   
  
“What the hell, L, _nobody knew that_-“

”Are you sssaying that all these yearssss, I’ve been working out loopholessss when I could have been-“  
  
“Specs what the actual fu-“

”That being said,” Blue once again cut everyone off, fixing them all with a powerful glare. “I still suggest you follow the rules I set in place.” Even though it was ‘suggested,’ it was clear that it was more an order than a mere suggestion. Quiet mumbles of affirmation sounded around the room, even from the darker of the Jinn, and Blue was not-so-secretly trying to hide a smile as he adjusted his glasses. “Thank you.”

“...Regardlesssss of what I can and cannot ssssay, my point still sssstandssss,” Yellow hissed quietly. “Life at itsss basssisss isss sssselfish and never ssssatisfied.”  
  
Surprisingly enough, it’s the parental Jinn that jumped in this time. “That’s not necessarily true!” he argued back, the slightest edge in his voice. His tail hung limp behind him, no longer wagging in excitement like it had been earlier. “There are some selfish people in the world, but... there’s a lot of unselfish people, too! Everyone’s just trying their best, bit sometimes, life is just mean!”  
  
A dark look crossed over Yellow’s face, and he took a step forward. ”You of all Jinn ssssshould know what people will do to get what they want, little pup.” The light blue Jinn froze at that, and the look in his eyes was lost and distant as he seemed to try and think of how to respond. “Don’t deny it, my dearesssst dumbasssss. Your foolissssh hope in life issss adorable, but overall, abssssolutely ssssstupid.”

Instantly, Red is leaping forward as if to try and attack the other, being stopped by a firm grip on his shoulder by the parental Jinn. “Padre, he can’t... just... talk about you like that, I-“  
  
”Aw, princey, you’re so sweet to defend my honor!” The other Jinn’s voice is upbeat and bubbly as he seemed to snap out of whatever he had been stuck in, but the nervous giggles give him away. “But... can we please not... fight? Please?”

A few beats, and then Red sighed, backing down, much to the relief of the other Jinn. “...I suppose... it _is_ a fair thought,” Red conceded, his hand goink to scratch behind the light blue Jinn’s ears, and he couldn’t help but smile slightly as the other practically melted into the touch. “After all, with the right influence…” The Jinn paused to shoot Purple a glare this time. “...Even the nicest of people can begin to use their powers for evil.” 

“Ro- _ Princey _ , I, look, I don’t- I didn’t _ want _… I… I tried to tell him no, but he-”

“After all,” Red cut him off, raising his voice just the tiniest bit more. The light blue Jinn looked disappointed at the stopped scratching, but his expression quickly turned worried as the other continued speaking. “Nobody would just... do things like that without some dark forces involved! At its core, life of any species is powered through goodness and light. Why else would the good Jinn be so much more powerful and loved than you?”

“You all of all people should know that there’s a dark side to everything!” the other burst out, gesturing back at the remaining lamp. “Just because some of us aren’t still naïve enough to realize that the human race isn’t as perfect as we used to think they were-“ He’s cut off as Blue once again jumped in, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. 

“Purple... the points you make are valid. But perhaps we can put this argument aside for another time, when we-“

”Shut it, L,” Purple muttered, turning away from the other, tail wrapping around his own leg as some sort of semblance of a hug. “Just because I backed you up earlier doesn’t mean you have to... y’know. ‘Return the favor’ or whatever.”  
  
”Oh the contrary, I _do_ believe you are bringing up reasonable ideas. Though, seeing as the situation we are currently in, I don’t think that...” 

As the fighting seemed to come to some sort of a standstill, delving more into side conversations than anything else, Thomas’s attention is drawn to the last lamp sitting on the coffee table. It’s a... unique one, and not because of the jewels or the metal. Its surface is reminiscent of the same golden glow of Red’s lamp, but this gold is tarnished and scuffed. The gems are a sickly green, veins of a reddish brown cracking through some of them, making it look all the more... wrong. And it’s shape is twisted, as if someone hadn’t known what they were doing when they had made it, or like it hadn’t even been intended to exist in the first place.

He rubbed it impulsively. 

Someone really should be stopping him from doing this, he thought as all the Jinn scrambled towards him, watching as if in slow motion as the lamp slipped from his hands, bouncing to a stop on the carpeted floor as a putrid green smoke continued to spill from it. 

At this Jinn’s appearance, however, Thomas can’t help but flinch backwards. Red and both Blues immediately took a protective stance in front of him, Purple shrinking back into the shadowy area at the foot of his stairs. Yellow acted indifferent, but Thomas could clearly see the other’s gaze soften.

“Oh goody, the gang’s all here!” a nasally voice called out in excitement and, leaning to the side to see past the Jinn’s protective postures, he can get a proper look at this new being. 

Well-worn emerald boxers are all this one wears, and though his body is almost an identical copy of Red’s, albeit a few shades paler, Thomas found himself wanting to tear his eyes away rather than to keep looking. In fact, the more Thomas examined the other Jinn, the more he realized how similar he was to Red. A messier version of the princely Jinn’s hair framed his face, a colored strand falling from its place to dangle in front of crazed, green eyes. Horns poked out from the mass of curls, though these horns were black and twisted, the right one breaking off suddenly in a splintery point. Deer-like ears flapped wildly as he continued speaking to the other, but something was... wrong with them. They were green-turning-black, as if rotting away, and they moved in a more fluid way then they should've been able to. And as he spun around, Thomas was able to see what could only loosely be described as the tail of a stag; the greenish fur looking more rough than furry, twisting and turning in a way that reminded Thomas more of a tentacle than anything else. Scatterings of messy cuts ran up and down his arms, and his neck and torso were littered with dark bruises.

“Oh, we’ve even got the snakey here! Daddy Dee, it’s been sooo long!” Green practically screamed, throwing himself at the snake-like Jinn. Instantly, the other’s arms were wrapping around him to reciprocate the hug, and Thomas could see the smallest of smiles tugging at his scaled cheeks. His mouth moved as he muttered something into the other’s ear, and Green just barked out a laugh before standing up at his full height, pulling Yellow off his feet as he continued hugging him. 

It was almost a cute scene. 

“Begone, fiends!”  
  
”Ohhhh RoRo, brother dearest, you sexy manchild, it has been so long!” Not moving from his position, he winked at Red, who somehow managed to look both sick and angry at the same time. “Tell me, how’s the boring creativity flowing these days?”  
  
From his perch on the stairs, Purple shot Blue a look, gesturing wildly at the other. “Okay, _that_ was blatantly spelled out; you can’t just let him get away with that, right?”

”_Boring _creativity?!” Red all but shrieked, and the parental Jinn at his side quietly put a hand on his shoulder, whispering something under his breath. Pausing, Red sighed, then nodded in reluctant agreement. 

“Oh, I’ve just been having a wonderful time these days! All the more amazingest people just keep stumbling across me! Like, I had this pretty silly master a few days ago; god was he a fun one! Good ol ‘Jeffy D didn’t even need my glorious ideas half the time!”

“...Oh god, trash child, you don’t mean you-“

“Okay,” Thomas said exasperatedly, cutting off what was sure to develop into another fullblown fight. In a room full of ancient beings, he really shouldn’t be feeling like an adult corralling a bunch of chaotic children. “So... Green’s here, and apparently that’s not going to change. So why don’t we just accept it and move on... sound good? And maybe we could all calm down and let someone tell me what’s going on?” 

“Green? Why, while being named after my favorite shade of vomit is flattering, you could just call me by my name!” Green cut in excitedly, letting go of the Yellow Jinn and flinging himself backwards onto the couch, a wince-worthy thud sounding as his head harshly banged against the armrest. “Remus! Jinn of Creativity!” 

“Remus I swear to god-“

”If he gets to share his name, can I-“

And just like that, the room had once again fallen into utter turmoil. Despite the fact that they were all holy mythological beings, being in complete chaos definitely seemed to be the norm with this group. Voices rose in an effort to be heard over the others, wings flapped agitatedly, ears flattening in fear against heads, tails swishing from side to side as teeth were bared suddenly. And, once again being left on the outskirts of the group, Thomas took a moment to look around at the now completed circle on Jinn.

The more he looked, the more he noticed, and the more he noticed, the more the pit in his stomach grew. The faded bruises marked up and down the curvature of Red’s collarbone that were barely noticeable if you weren’t looking for them. The way that Purple shrank back slightly as the others’ voices rose, though still keeping the guarded, hateful look on his face. The way Blue completely shut down after being brushed off once, falling silent and taking a step back even though the nervous messing with his tie showed that he clearly had more to say. The way Yellow hissed through a smirk, and yet still couldn’t hide the flash of hurt that his eyes betrayed as Purple turned away from him completely. The way the parental Jinn’s smile was falling slowly as he tried to get the others to stop fighting, the scars that ran across his chest and arms standing out against too-pale skin. 

And then, most terrifying of all, Remus’s eyes turning on him, smile showing far too many teeth, eyes wide and wild and almost... empty. Like the Jinn wasn’t all there, or even partially complete. Almost there, but not quite. 

The pit in Thomas’s stomach deepened even more.

They were all parts of one whole, but something... Something was definitely off. And even though he had just met them, and even though they were mythical being and Thomas was just a human... he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. 

“Stop,” he said suddenly, and as quickly as the word had fallen from his lips, all of the Jinn were quieted and facing him, postures still and practiced. It was a little unnerving, and it felt... weird, if he was being honest. But if pulling the ‘master’ card was going to be what got this group into a less chaotic state... 

“You two,” he pointed at Remus and Yellow, who were once again latched onto one another, “are going to take the guest room. Upstairs, first door on the left. I... I honestly don’t know if you need them or not, but there’s a first aid kit in the bathroom if you want to take care of...” Thomas trailed off, gesturing at Green. The snake-like Jinn nodded in what could almost be gratitude, looping an arm around the other’s waist and tugging him towards the stairs. “If not, and I know this is going to sound stupid but I really don’t know how you guys work, but can you, like, conjure up some medical supplies or something?”

At that statement, Blue stepped in, looking eager to once again explain something to the human. For as much as he had acted annoyed at Thomas’s cluelessness as to how Jinn worked, it was obvious that he enjoyed teaching a listening audience. “We can indeed, though we have to be given very specific instructions on conjuring things for ourselves. After all, our purpose is to provide for our master. Our wants are selfish in comparison to the master’s desires.”

”How can bandages be considered a want-“ Thomas started, but at the sincerely confused look that Blue gave him, he quickly changed courses. “I uh... give you permission, or whatever, to heal yourselves in any way, as well as to, uh... like, conjure anything that might make you more comfortable?”

There’s a sudden pause in the room, and all the Jinn turn in unison to stare at him. Red shot Blue a smug look that practically screamed 'I told you he was a good one,’ before flicking his wrist and catching a bundle of clothing in his hands. A shimmer seemed to travel up his figure, and when he looked at Thomas next... something was different. But before Thomas could figure out _what _exactly was different, Red had moved on to another topic of conversation. 

“Hey Specs, does that mean I can-“

”No, Princey, this does not mean you can conjure a dragon.”

”Dammit.”

Turning to the parental Jinn who, in Red’s absence was now whispering with Purple, Thomas cleared his throat awkwardly. He didn’t want to intrude, but.. the marks across the other’s back that Red hadn’t healed yet were still red and raw, and he wanted to get them fixed right away. “Uh, hey, puppy guy, I was just-“

At the light touch on his shoulder, the other jerked back. A look of something flashed across his features, but it’s quickly turned into a smile as a nervous giggle escaped his mouth. 

“Oh, no worries!” the Jinn said quickly, quickly hugging himself and taking a small step backwards. His eyes slipped closed for a second, and then a slight shimmer of blue flashed across his skin. Just as soon as it had happened, it had stopped, and Purple quickly caught the other as he leaned to the side woozily. Watching in relief as the numerous wounds seemed to have disappeared, Thomas allowed a small grin to cross his face as the Jinn looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. “See? Good ‘s new. M’sorry, kiddo, it just takes... takes a lil energy to, uh...” The Jinn yawned, curling comfortably into the other’s side. The smallest of smiles crossed Purple’s face at that, and he brushed away a stray strand of hair out of the other’s exhausted face in a motion of uncharacteristic softness. 

And then Red had hurriedly made his way over, looking ready to attack if necessary. With a look from Thomas, however, he merely sighed loudly, offering the Purple what could almost be considered a courteous nod as he took the other’s limp frame in his arms, comfortable arranging the unconscious man in a bridal carry. 

Yellow and Green had already made their way upstairs, and if the creaking of the bed frame and the exasperated voice shouting for the other to stop jumping on the bed were any indication, they had found the guest bedroom. Purple had disappeared almost the moment Thomas had looked away, but the scratching of wood on floor coming from down the hall led him to believe that the other had gotten his wonky office door open and taken up residence there. Giving Red some quick directions to his bedroom, he watched as he held the parental Jinn even closer to his chest, cradling his frail body protectively as he made his way upstairs.

Sighing, whether in relief or exasperation Thomas couldn’t tell, the last remaining Jinn turned to face the human once again. “Perhaps you do deserve to be treated as more than a simple human,” Blue mused, almost too quiet for the other to pick up. And then, speaking a bit louder, he adjusted his glasses. “Though, I must remind you, this changes nothing. No amount of faux kindness or manipulative caring will get you the wishes you desire, young one.”  
  
”That’s... that’s not what I’m-“ 

Blue cut him off with an upraised hand. “And maybe you are not. But, even on the off chance that your kindness towards the others is of purely non-malicious intent, I still find it my duty to remind you that you must know how to properly wield our magic to be allowed to do so. Remus may have blatantly stated his purpose, but I find it hard to believe that you will find the rest of the answers out quite as easily. So, if you will excuse me, I believe my time will be better spent catching up on the current events of this world than listen to you attempt to figure us out.” Suit coat flaring out behind him, the Jinn turned on his heel, presumably to find somewhere to hole up on his own. His wrist flicked outwards, the leatherbound book he had been reading earlier materializing in his grip, and he flipped it open as he headed towards the stairs. 

And in that moment, something clicked in Thomas’s mind. The constant advice given from the Jinn, the reasoning he applied to every situation, the way he pretended to be devoid of emotion... hell, even the speckled owl’s wings flaring out from his back was a hint. 

”You’re the brains of the group,” Thomas called out quickly, and Blue immediately froze. “You are intellect,” he continued confidently. “Intelligence, knowledge. You…” Staring at the Jinn’s back as he stiffened, he smiled slightly. “...are logic.” 

Still not facing Thomas, the other man’s mouth quirked up in a hidden half-smile, and he adjusted his glasses with one hand as he turned around. “I must admit, for a human, you caught on quicker than expected. I offer my apologies on underestimating you, Master.”

“-Thomas,” the other corrected him.

“Apologies, _ Thomas _.” Logic nodded his head once as he repeated the name, as if solidifying it in his mind. “And my sincerest congratulations on unlocking the first of many servants at your disposal.” Bowing deeply, he ignored the other’s uncomfortable look at the word ‘servants’ and continued with his statement. “From now until your wish is fulfilled, I, Logan, logical jinn of the owl lamp, will be by your side.” 

“...Logan?”

Looking up and seeing Thomas’s confused face, Logan allowed himself to smile completely.

“What? You didn’t think my name was just ‘Logic,’ did you?”


	3. Logic and Self Preservation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Even for a night owl, you ssseem to be up rather late, wouldn’t you sssay, Logan?”_
> 
> A look into Logan and Dee's relationship throughout the centuries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...well... _this fic certainly got more attention than I was expecting_. So, sorry for the late update, but I just got over a huge fucking writer's block, so I think we'll be seeing more consistent updates in the future! Thank you to all who have read, commented, or left kudos, and I hope this next addition doesn't disappoint!

When Logic had stumbled out of his lamp for the very first time, he couldn’t help the broad smile that spread across his cheeks. It was akin to the nervous-yet-excited feeling one felt on the first day of their new job, a situation that he seemed to briefly remember from their previous form. He was here to help the many creatures that walked this earth, to provide all the knowledge and advice that he possibly could, and to grant a wish upon all who found his vessel. How could he remain unsmiling at the thought of all that?

And just when he thought he couldn’t smile any wider, his master had rubbed the other lamp they had found. The moment Self Preservation’s slitted pupils had fallen on his form, he had smiled just as broadly in return before turning to listen to whatever their master was saying. 

And they worked wonderfully together; their master had said so themselves! Self Preservation kept their master as safe as they could while Logic helped them talk through the logistics of what their wish might be. And until that wish was granted, which their master had wisely decided to put off until later at Logic’s suggestion, they served their master in any way they could. Together. Side by side. 

Logic couldn’t think of a better way to serve his first master than with one of his closest friends at his side, and as Self Preservation told him as he held the other while they drifted off to sleep, laying a chaste kiss against the other’s lips with a giggle, he felt the exact same way. 

* * *

The next time Logic and Self Preservation met, they both had names. 

“I’m Logan,” Logic said excitedly as he took Self Preservation’s hands in his own. Their master had been kind enough to allow them a small moment alone before their services began, and Logan was excited to finally share with the other the name he had chosen. It had been Morality, now named Patton, who had originally come up with the idea, because of course he had, and Logan was certain that every other jinn from their group had been told of it.

“I’m Dee!” 

“Dee… I like that,” Logan said thoughtfully, and Dee grinned in response as he linked their pinkies together, pulling the other towards the door that led outside. 

“Not too late to change… we could be name buddiesss!” 

“Then how would people tell us apart?”

“...Fine, fine, I guesss you’re right…...I sssuppose Logan isss pretty cool too.”

* * *

  
“...Don’t you think it’sss a little sssoon for that, Lo?” 

It was the first thing Dee had said since he had been released from his lamp, their new masters eventually growing frustrated at their newest Jinn refusing to verbally acknowledge them and having left them alone hours ago. Logan hadn’t moved from the pose his masters had left him in, not speaking a word unless the other initiated as he had been asked to do, but he jerked slightly at the sudden noise.

“Too soon for what, might I ask?”

“To… do that…” Dee waved a hand at Logan’s figure, giving the other jinn a brief glimpse of a few concerning marks adorning the other’s arm before he quickly pulled it back to hold it against his chest. “To look like them.”

Blinking in surprise, Logan cocked his head to the side. So, Dee was talking about his appearance, then. “Is that not what I am intended to do?” he asked curiously, now re-examining the new tint of his skin as if uncertain he should be wearing it. “To show loyalty to a master, that is? The shift for a jinn to take upon their master’s appearance is rather important; a physical reminder to both parties that the jinn is a part of their master and nothing else, that the master’s wishes are the jinn’s as well, that-”

“I get the purposssse,” Dee cut him off quietly. “But…. issssn’t it a bit premature to know if you ssshould ssshow sssuch a loyalty to thisss masster?” 

“Why wouldn’t I show a loyalty to this master?” And though Logan’s tone came off as somewhat blunt, Dee knew him well enough to know that he was genuinely curious. “A jinn’s loyalty is bestowed upon every master they have.”

“...Well, maybe it ssshouldn’t be,” Dee whispered, almost too quietly for the other to hear. 

And Logan did hear. But as Dee quickly changed the subject, Logan’s wings ruffling with delight as he was allowed to infodump about all he had learned from his last master, those whispered words fell to the back of his mind, until he didn’t remember to comment on them at all. 

* * *

Looking back on it, Logan logically wishes he had known sooner. Because, if he had known sooner, he could’ve started working on a solution sooner, and in doing so could’ve saved those he loved from so much pain and misery. 

But secretly, Logan wishes he could’ve lived without knowing, just for another master or two. Sometimes, he wishes he had never known, that he could’ve stayed the same, naive little jinn who smiled whenever their master asked them a question and found joy in granting each and every one of their wishes, no matter how off said wishes seemed. He sometimes wonders if he’d still think his masters were always right in their actions if he hadn’t been informed directly that masters could make mistakes. 

But no matter what he himself wishes, he knows it will never be granted. Because, like it or not, he had been told the moment his 7th master with Dee had left the room. Turning to his friend, a small smile pulling at his lips as he prepared to catch the other up on all that had happened while they had been separated, he stopped as he saw the trail of fresh tears sliding down the other’s scales. 

Instantly, he was cradling the other in a tight hug, softly shushing him as he wiped away the tears. “Dee… are you alright? Did something-”

“They hurt Patton,” Dee cut him off between his sobs, voice so quiet and fragile that Logan felt like they’d break if he even breathed too harshly. “They… they hurt Patton _bad_.”

And Logan, stupid Logan, had cocked his head to the side, not seeming to understand the problem. “What do you mean?”

And smart, always-too-smart Dee’s face had immediately fallen. 

“Hurt him… they h-hurt him, bruisesss like thessse,” Dee pulled away to hold his wrist up to the other’s vision, showing a ring of familiar discoloration looped around on the other’s skin. “But… b-but all over. And worse oness, too. All becausse he couldn’t grant their wisssh… they didn’t understand it wassn’t morally right, didn’t… didn’t undersstand he couldn’t, just thought he wouldn’t…” 

Logan had only shot the other jinn a curious look. “The marks are bad?” he said quietly. “I… I was told that the marks were meant to teach… for me to learn… I… I’m supposed to like learning, so I…” 

He saw the moment Dee’s teary gaze had focused on his neck, saw the way the other’s expression seemed to fall, another bout of tears slipping down his cheeks as a gentle hand raised to graze across the discolored skin. 

“Oh… oh _Logan_,” they sobbed, voice cracking as they pulled their hand away, instead reaching out to wrap the other in a protective hug. “You’re ssso sssmart, you’re ssso incredibly sssmart… _but you can be ssso obliviousss sssometimesss_.”

* * *

  
Logan never seemed to understand why Dee so resolutely refused to take on the appearance of every master he had. It was a sign of loyalty, as Patton had told them all with an unusually serious tone in his voice, and one of the deepest signs of such they could physically show. And at first, he didn’t understand why a jinn wouldn’t want to pledge their undying loyalty to their master. 

He understood later as he was cradling Dee in his arms, running his fingers through the other’s hair in a calming motion, trying to ignore the fact that the other’s form was growing wispy as he was being drawn back into his lamp. A jinn only had a few minutes outside of their lamp after granting their wish, and Logan didn't want Dee being pulled back in while still distraught over what had happened. 

“Didn’t… didn’t want to, Lo, didn’t mean to, I… I d-didn’t…”

Logan gently shushed him, telling him in a quiet voice that it wasn’t his fault. But no matter how much he tried to focus on calming his friend down before he was forced back into the lamp, he couldn’t stop his stomach from turning as the scene from a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind’s eye. 

After all, wishes were powerful things, even under the constraints of a jinn's purpose. And one could do a lot in the name of self preservation. 

He doesn’t take on that master’s appearance. Or the next. Or the next. He thinks he understands why Dee doesn’t, now. 

* * *

“Your purpose is _Logic_; surely you aren’t stupid enough to need a reminder of that.” Logan’s face burned as his head whipped to the side, but he didn’t reach up to rub the reddened skin. He had been told not to move, and even if he had wanted to disobey he knew that he was physically unable to do so. “I didn’t release you for emotion, I didn’t release you just for you to try and tell me how to use my wish, I didn’t allow you a place at my side just for you to blubber about how ‘_wrong’_ my ideas are.”

“My apologies, Master. It won’t happen a-”

Another slap, this one throwing Logan to the ground completely. “Absolutely brain-dead, I swear upon Zeus himself. Logic, you are not to speak again until command to do so once again, do you understand?”

Logan only nodded, willing back the tears that were welling in his eyes against his will. 

“Finally; I guess you _are_ smart enough to understand some things. Now, grant upon me my wish.”

* * *

The next time they shared a master, Dee seemed concerned that he never spoke a single word. Their master had been satisfied with his simple nods, even going so far as to coo that Logan was ‘so quiet and well behaved’ before leaving the jinn in their new quarters. 

It was only two minutes into a one-sided conversation that Dee was pleading for Logan to say something, anything. 

Logan still didn’t answer, just reached out to hold one of Dee’s hands in his own shaking one. 

Dee never got a verbal answer, but judging by his tears and the way he had wrapped Logan up in a hug the moment something seemed to click for him, Logan figured he had found an answer for himself well enough on his own. 

* * *

“Why did you do it?”

The pure relief that shone through Dee’s eyes at hearing Logan talk again slowly flickered out, giving way to a somewhat confused expression. “Why did I… do what, Lo? What are you talking about?”

“I previously shared a master with Fear,” Logan said quietly, and Dee’s expression immediately turned frantic.

“Oh god, Lo, I… he didn’t mean to, I promissse. I was there, I sssaw it happen. He tried, he tried _so hard_ to find a way he couldn’t grant it, but… but… fuck, Lo, they wouldn’t let up. I…”

“I do not blame Virgil in any way,” Logan cut in quietly, and Dee practically sobbed in relief, barrelling forward to pull the other into a hug that was not returned. “However, I do not think the same of your actions that followed.” His arms stayed resolutely at his sides, and Dee’s grip loosened bit by bit until the half-hug fell apart before it had really been fully given. 

“...They dessserved it. If you ssshared a master with Vee, you’ve… you’ve ssseen the way he is, now. They hurt him. They _hurt_ him, Lo. I couldn’t just ssstand by and-”

“Our purpose is to help humans with their wishes,” Logan stated in the monotone voice that was so instinctive to him now. No emotion shone through, not a single iota of a chance for his master to get mad presenting itself. “Not purposefully trick and twist their desires into their own demise.”

“I did what wasss right,” Dee responded resolutely, but Logan only shook his head. 

“No, you did what you _thought_ was right.” 

“I had to sssave Virgil.”

And it was only natural. Dee was Self Preservation, of course he’d do whatever he could to preserve the other parts of his ‘self.’ Logan knew that, and yet, he couldn’t stop thinking of the way Virgil had gripped his arm like it was his only lifeline, telling him in a weak and stuttered voice exactly what Dee had tricked their masters into doing.

The room was quiet for a moment, both of the jinn refusing to look at one another as they stood their ground. And then, finally, Logan broke the silence with a sentence filled with the most emotion the other had heard from him in far too long. “I don’t see why ‘saving Virgil’ needed to involve a massacre of thousands of innocent humans, just so the ones at fault were slain.” 

* * *

He had thought of the rules after sharing a master with Patton. They seemed especially necessary after he witnessed that, and he had apologized over and over again as he held the other’s trembling frame in his arms, the other still wheezing out reassurances that it wasn’t Logan’s fault. 

There were fundamental basics that he could never change, of course. If anyone invoked the use of their true name, they had no choice but to obey. But he had a little wiggle room, a little leeway with the rest of it all, and after a few masters had been served he shared the new rules with the others. He wasn’t as powerful as Patton, or able to grant as devastating of wishes as Virgil, or even come up with the many impractical and creative ideas that Roman provided. But not a single person among their group could deny who Logan was at his core. It wasn’t as though the others didn’t possess any knowledge of their own; on the contrary, all of the jinn were incredibly smart, albeit in different ways. But Logic was pure knowledge embodied, all the facts and figures of their godly predecessor contained within his form, and as such, all Jinn listened to him for their greater decisions. Roman had been the first, followed by Remus, and he had let both Patton and Virgil know at when they had been fortunate enough to serve the same master. And it took a few masters after that, but eventually, Logan found himself in service beside the last jinn he had been looking for. 

“Wishes shall now only be dealt to those of magical descent,” Logan stated quietly the moment their master had left the room. He didn’t know how long it had really been since he had come up with these new ‘rules,’ nor how long it had been since he had last seen Deceit, but it was obvious by the other’s confused expression that he hadn’t been told by any of the others yet. 

“...What are you saying?” And Dee’s voice sounded so soft, so hopeful, so unlike the sarcastic hisses he now threw to anyone who crossed his path, that Logan’s heart couldn’t help but throb. 

“Only ones of magical decent, or those who know of the purposes of the jinn, shall be granted the powers of a jinn’s wish,” Logan repeats, not making an effort to meet the gaze of the other man. “It seems only reasonable, as humanity has proven to be incapable of handling the power 109,567,986 times out of 109,567,994. This provides both insurance that no creature is hurt needlessly by a human’s wish, as well as no human being hurt by any jinn seeking malintent.” 

And it took a moment for it to sink in. But out of the corner of Logan’s eye, he could see the exact moment it clicked, and he had to fight a soft smile at the sight of the relieved gleam in the other’s eyes. 

“...Thank you.”

Logan only nodded in response, but nighttime found them curled up in each other's holds like old times. It wouldn’t happen again after that night, but for those few hours in which they ignored everything outside of their little bubble, everything seemed alright. 

* * *

“Even for a night owl, you ssseem to be up rather late, wouldn’t you sssay, Logan?”  
  
Throwing a quick glance over to the couch, ensuring that Thomas was still asleep under the pile of blankets he was using as a makeshift bed, Logan turned back towards Deceit with an unamused expression. Closing his leather-bound journal with a small snap, he waved it and the pen he had been using out of existence. “Shouldn’t you be with Remus?”

“Oh, he’sss already out and about,” Deceit said with a shrug. “Looked away for a sssingular sssecond, and he wasss gone.”

“You don’t know where he-” Quickly cutting himself off before his voice got too loud, too emotional, Logan took a deep breath before repeating in a level tone: “You don’t know where the most chaotic jinn is, the jinn that only listens to you, the only jinn that might accidentally cause harm to our master. You were in the _same room_ as him, and you _lost_ him?”

Deceit shrugged, conjuring a snake skinned-patterned blanket with a flick of his wrist and pulling it around his shoulders as he took a seat across from Logan. Rolling his eyes at the other’s attempt to ‘stay on brand,’ as Virgil would say, he couldn’t help the small snort that escaped him.

Grinning at the show of emotion, Deceit leaned back against the kitchen cabinents, looking around as if with great fascination. “Ah yessss, the kitchen. Obviousssly the mossst comfortable place to rest in this great abode. What led you to sssettle down here?”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“You didn’t anssswer mine.” Face schooling itself into a more serious expression, Deceit quickly added, “If you need a room, I am more than willing to sshare. And on the off chance he ssshowsss back up before ssunrise, you know Remusss wouldn’t mind… he’sss alwaysss had a ssoft sspot for you.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I am fine where I am.” 

Both fell into uncomfortable silence. And then…

“Have you given it any more thought?”

“Of course. Have you ever known me not to give something any thought?

Deceit chuckled at that, and for a moment, Logan could almost imagine that things were as they used to be. That they were merely seated across from eachother in their new living quarters, Dee chuckling at something he had said, only laughing harder when he would inquire about what he had said was so funny. The first night with a shared master had always been filled with cuddles and slow kisses, whispered updates on themselves and others, giggles and grins as they bantered back and forth all throughout the night. 

Logan wrapped his arms tighter around himself, hating that even a small part of him wanted things to be how they had previously been. Deceit had made his position clear, as had himself, and there was a figurative line in the sand between the two of them. 

“The answer is the same as ever,” he whispered, and he could see Deceit nodding slightly out of the corner of his eye. 

“Even after all the pain that the humansss have causssed?”

“The pain caused by the few does not justify the punishment inflicted on the many.”

“...Even after all the pain that they’ve made _Virgil_ feel?”

“...Deceit…”

“All the pain they’ve put _Roman_ through? _Remuss_? Sssurely you’ve ssseen the sssigns, know the way they’ve been treated.”

“D...D-Deceit… please...”

“And what about our happy pappy Patton? Are you just going to ssstand by and let _him_ collect another round of mental and physssical sscars all because you-”

“**You know I don’t want that to happen.**” Deceit flinched back at the raw anger in Logan’s words, and the logical jinn was quick to apologize, even as his wings were still pulled around himself protectivly. His voice was shaking, and Deceit could barely see the gleam of teartracks running down the other’s face. “You know, y-you know I’d do anything to stop the pain you are all subject to.”

“...Then join me,” Deceit offered quietly. “Your ideasss, my way of twisssting words… wrapping precious little _Thomasss_ around our fingers would be a sssimple tasssk, and one wayward wisssh could free us of these pesssts forever.”

That reply doesn't seem to even warrant thought, because Logan immediately shook his head. “You are wrong,” he replied simply. “Violence or harm of any kind is not the answer to our problem. It goes against our purpose. Not a logical solution, nor a moral one. And you know that even jinn outside of those purposes are bound to them.” 

“Then what isss the ansswer, _Logic_?”

“I… I don’t know, yet.” 

And he knew that Deceit wasn't angry at _him_. He knew that Deceit had never _truly_ been angry at him; logically, the other still displayed far too many clear signs of affection for that to be the case. Deceit was angry at their situation, which was more than understandable... not at him. _Never_ at him.

But that doesn’t stop the way his heart absolutely crumbled under Deceit’s glare. “Well, I’d ssuggest you figure it out ssoon,” he hissed as he pushed himself to his feet, staring down at Logan with nothing but anger in his snake-like eyes. “I undersssstand that you don’t really ‘_do’_ emotionsss, but I thought you’d be far more motivated when it was your _family_ that was being hurt.” And before Logan could say anything in response to that, Deceit had turned on his heel and stormed away. 

_"I'm trying, Dee."_

Logan only allowed himself a moment to steady his breathing before he held out his hand, letting the weight of a familiar leather-bound journal fall into his hands. Summoning a pen in his other hand, he flipped through the pages, occasionally marking things of interest and scribbling extra notes in the margins. 

Years of research and thought littered the pages. In-depth looks at wording that could be used to their advantage, possibilities of somehow convincing their masters to make a wish towards their cause, each page having the handwriting grow more and more frantic as their family was hurt again, and again, and again. 

But Logan was close. Logan had to be close, because this was their chance. They were all together with a master that seemed kind and easily malleable, even though Logan knew that could be subject to change, and Logan was _close_. He could get their family out of this, _somehow_, could stop the cycle of hurt, could give them a chance to heal... could get the chance to bring the group back together again, like they used to be. 

Yes, Logan was close, but that didn't mean he had any time to spare. His discussion with Deceit had taken up valuable minutes, and he needed to makeup the slack. Ripping through the pages, finally finding a somewhat blank one, he began writing down his newest stream of thoughts. 

He may not have the same drive as Self Preservation, but he was going to do his damn best to keep everyone that he loved safe and out of harm for the rest of all eternity. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: a look into Roman and Remus's relationship! Or maybe Patton and Virgil's.... I'll probably do a quick coin toss to decide, unless anyone who has made it this far has a preference. 
> 
> And hey, if you have any questions about Logan and Deceit specifically, or hell, about the AU itself, don't be afraid do so in the comments, or to head over to [my Tumblr!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kitkatzgr8) If you ask nicely enough, the boys might be willing to answer anything you might possibly want to know ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Me: creates a completely unique and overly complicated system of making wishes, the purpose of Jinn, how they work, creating a whole new set of ‘rules’ so that it better mirrors the actual sanders sides series, etc., not even knowing if her ideas make sense
> 
> Also me, literally the moment I finishing writing this: i could’ve.,,, i could’ve,,, just,,, used the usual,,, the usual way the genies work??? _Why didn’t i-_
> 
> I honestly don’t expect anyone to read and/or understand this lil ramble, but... I had a surprisingly fun time writing it!


End file.
